workplace_innovation_team_my_roomfandomcom-20200214-history
Project Overview, Technology Used
My Room Overview A combination of room decor and blind bags, aimed at tweens (ages 8-12). A room consists of a plastic box, 12" wide, 10" high and 4" deep, with the top of the box removable or hinges out to become part of the room and can be connected to other rooms. The blind bags contain 3 surprise items and are color coded by type of room. For example, a purple blind bag would be designated as items for a dressing room (mirror, chair, dresser, shoe rack, etc.) Technology Used Blackboard: communicate with each other as well as obtain feedback from classmates. Google Drive: collaborate, share and edit documents such as product list, gantt chart, gap analysis, and our webpage Google Photo: share and comment on project photos How These Can Be Used In The Workplace Blind bags are aimed at tweens and teens to give them the control of decorating and creating their own space. With the rise of coloring books (teens and adults!) and other stress relievers, by giving young adults the space to be as creative as they want and allow them to be innovative and imaginative will be a great stress relief. Although the idea is starting on a small scale, it could be expanded and used for adults just as easily. Although keeping it “small” may make it easier and friendlier to busy lives, by expanding into rooms that could be built in a basement, garage, or backyard could be just as relaxing and keep the creative juices flowing. As a small item, these could be purchased in bulk or individually as ways to relieve stress and encourage individuality, creativity, and even some competition or best decorated. As a large item, these could be turned into actual rooms or spaces that are safe and calming; for adults, a meditation room or theme may be needed near your desk or in your office – some place that you can make your own to relax and rejuvenate. As for using the technologies we used as a group, I think that Google Drive and Google Photo would be really great to use for group projects at work – the ability to have access to the documents everyone is working on was important to our success and it would be equally important to other groups success as well. We were able to have different ideas started and edited at all hours of the day and then whenever each of us was able to log on, we could update the documents. It’s a very efficient way to have groups come together with out it being in the literal sense. Blackboard was important for our group project as well; having the updates and feedback from our fellow classmates gave us new perspectives that maybe we didn’t think of or a different way to phrase our ideas. Although it wasn’t enough for us, as a group, to plan with and that is when we started using Google Docs. We also used e-mail to communicate and check in with each other. This was great for all of us to touch base, hear our thoughts, ideas, and feedback to what was already created. Because we all have a different way of thinking and our own creativity, having the e-mail chains to reference for progress, idea sharing, and constructive feedback was crucial to our success. Challenges OF Using These In The Workplace Some challenges in the workplace may be the obvious: size, space, money, and, more importantly, time. However, if approached right, there could be more benefits than challenges. For example, at a team meeting a bunch of “My Room” boxes could be given out and then employees could be challenged to make it their own as a competition or could be given extra time to create a space that would be safe, secure, and encouraging. However, most businesses are strapped for time and budget so buying many of these could put a strain on the day to day operation. In general, the benefits outweigh the negative aspects to having a “My Room” for yourself or the teen/tween in your life. Using Google Docs and Google Photo sharing in the workplace would be ideal for groups or small companies as it’s an easy way to plan and create events, websites, or parties. I think that it may be a bit cumbersome if you have a huge corporation using it but could be valuable if it’s only one person posting updates with no editing allowed from others. I found it be a bit confusing at first, so I think that it would be a learning curve to employees who don’t spend a lot of time online or working on internet-based data sharing. Blackboard, for obvious reasons, wouldn’t be effective in the workplace. I think of it more like a chatroom which could cause a lot of issues and miscommunication; I also think it’s hard to follow if you’re looking for feedback or trying to plan something. E-mail is a very common method of communication in the workplace now, I believe. It was a great tool for us and essential for the success of planning MyRoom – I think it’s equally as successful in the workplace for planning and disbursing information in mass communications or in smaller groups. I think that e-mail can also be misinterpreted so I think that having a face to face meeting in the workplace would be important to iron out details but it is a viable and reliable way of communication.